Gibson J-200 Neck Removal

Using steam to remove the J-200's neck for a neck reset.
The neck is glued to the body with hot hide glue which will become
soft at around 150 degrees F.

Step one is to heat up the fretboard extension and separate the hot hide glue
that bonds it to the spruce guitar face.

Aluminum covered cardboard shield protects
the lacquer finish from the iron's heat.

Wet towel on top of the fretboard extension
helps generate the steam required to soften the hide glue.

 Hot spatula cuts into the softened hide glue under the fretboard extension.

With the fretboard extension separated from the spruce top,
wet steam is injected into a small drilled hole in the guitar neck block using a stainless steel tube
that is connected to a Mister Coffee Espresso Maker via a fuel hose

 The steam generates plenty of water that can be seen running out of the joint with
some amount of brown color from the softened hide glue.

 Two minutes of injected steam and the neck slides off the dove tail joint with a bit of pressure

 The hide glue cleans up off the joint very well leaving a nice clean wood surface.

Gibson J-200 Guitar build completed

With the addition of an authentic Gibson J-200 carved pick guard,
this project is finally complete.

The guitar neck, bridge and pickguard are Gibson manufactured and
the body was made completely from scratch.

J-200 Guitar Build - Strings Installed

This guitar project is close to being complete.
It only needs some small amount of string height adjustment.

J-200 Guitar Build - Neck to Body attachment with Hot Hide Glue

Hot hide glue applied to neck joint surfaces and neck is clamped to guitar body.

J-200 Guitar Build - Hot Hide Glue for Bridge Attachment

Bridge is located and lacquer is removed prior to hot hide glue application
and bridge clamping.

Bridge is accurately located

 Masking tape is pealed away from bridge glue footprint

 

Lacquer finish is removed

 

Hot hide glue on left is heated to 150F and ready to apply

Bridge clamped while hide glue sets overnight

J-200 Guitar Build _ Lacquer Finish Leveled and Polished